Writing-tablet.



T. HUSSE-Y.

WRITING TABLET.

APPLICATION FILED smmn, 1909` Patented Ju1y12.1910.

NI/ENTOR.

IVTNESSES:

TTORNEY.

nur lmRRIs PErlRs co.. wAsNmaroN, p. c.

entre THOMAS HUSSEY, OF LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS.

WRITING-TABLET.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Application led September 11, 1909.

Patented July 12, 1910.

serial No. 517,233.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS HUssnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lawrence, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVriting-Tablets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to portable tablets on which to write. It relates especially to such tablets for use in the dark or more particularly for the use of persons with defective sight and for the use of the blind. The device consists of a frame upon which the paper to be written on is placed, and comprises means for aiding the pencil or other writ-ing tool to be directed in a straight line across the paper, means for allowing the lower ends of looped letters to be formed uniformly, and means for moving the sheet on which the writing is being done regular distances corresponding to the space between the lines of writing. It also comprises a hand rest which is independent of the pencil guide and which prevents the friction of the hand in writing from displacing the parts.

In the drawings, Figure 1, is 4a top view of my device, Fio. 2 is a view from the left on the line X Y of F ig. l, and Fig. 3 is a side view of the clip. Fig. 4 is a detail of the lower or inner end of the paper carrier B in s ection.

A represents a frame which is preferably made of wood or other light material. At the top of frame A, I attach wooden strips 10, 11 and 12 all the way around. The strip 10 is shallow and the strips 11 at the upper part of frame A are shallow, but are considerably deeper at the lower part thereof at their ends 13. The strip 12 is ordinarily of the same thickness as the part 13.

Between the sides 11, 11, I locate my paper carrier B. This carrier is a slide made preferably of sheet metal and has its top rim 20 turned up to form a guide or stop for the top edge of the paper C to be written on. Its bottom rim 23 is preferably also slightly turned up. Depending from the bottom of the paper carrier B is a stud 21 which engages any one of the pin holes 14 which are formed in a vertical line on the face of frame A.

Between the sides 13 and the bottom strip 12 and on top thereof, I fasten a plate D by means of screws 30. This plate D serves as a hand rest and may be of Zinc or other metal, or it may be made of fiber, thin wood, or other suitable material. Under hand plate D, I place the pencil guide plate E. This plate should lit slidably and fairly close at the sides between the strips 13 and should be of such thickness that it will permit the paper carrier B to slide under it freely. This pencil guide plate E is held in place by a screw 40 which passes loosely through a hole in the bottom strip 12 and into the lower end of plate E. The head of this screw 40 limits the movement of plate E and the extent of that movement can be regulated by screwing screw 40 in or out.

Passing into a recess 41 in plate E is a spindle 42 which passes slidably through bottom strip l2 and serves as a guide for spring 43 which bears between the end of recess 41 and the inside of bottom strip 12. It will be readily seen that spring 43 tends to push pencil guide plate E forward at all times, so that the normal position of its upper edge 44 will be the same. This edge 44 determines the bottom of the characters which are written on the paper except the looped letters which pass below the line. When such letters are to be formed, the handle 45 which projects laterally from plate E is pushed downward by the left hand to the position shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 2, thus bringing plate E down to the position shown in the dotted lines. In this position, edge 44 serves as a guide for the bottom of the depending loops. The rim of edge 44 which is next to paper carrier B is preferably rounded to allow the paper or card C to be more readily slid thereunder.

The mode of operation is as follows. The paper or card C to be written on is placed on paper carrier B and it is slid down or up to a position corresponding with the nature of the sheet and of the character of the document to be written. I find it an advantage to provide notches 50 and 51 on side strips 11 by which carrier B can be located. F or instance, notch 51 would correspond with such a position of an ordinary letter sheet as would bring the date in correct position with reference to edge 44.

Notch 51 is a guide for addressing a postal card. Notch 50 would correspond with the position of a postal card placed lengthwise when the writing had continued far enough to receive the signature.

The slits 24 are to receive an envelop and are of such length that when placed therein the addressing line will correspond with edge 44.

The stud 2l is easily lifted out of any of the pin holes 14, and replaced in any other hole. It holds the paper carrier with suflicient lirmness in any position while the writing is being done. At the end of a line, stud 2l is moved upward into the next higher hole and so on until the sheet isl finished.

To hold the paper C in place, I may use a special form of clip H. This is made of sheet metal bent double to 'form paralleled legs and 6l. Leg 60 is shorter than leg 6l and leg 6l curves outward. This clip H is slipped over rim 20 and down until the curved leg 6l bears on the paper (l and keeps it from slipping. Clip H may also be used to slip over the edge of hand rest D as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. l to indicate where the writer ceased writing, in case he wishes to continue again from the sameipoint.

1What I claim as my invention and desire to cover by Letters Patent is:

l. In a writing tablet, the combination of a frame, strips around the upper edge thereof, a hand plate connecting the lower part of said strips, a pencil guide plate slidable underneath the hand rest, and a paper carrier slidable between the side strips and underneath the pencil guide plate, as described. y

2. In a writing tablet, the combination of a frame, strips around the upper edge thereof, a hand plate connecting' the lower part of said strips, a spring actuated pencil guide plate slidable underneath the hand rest and normally projecting beyond said hand rest, and a paper carrier slidable between the side strips and underneath the pencil guide plate, as described.

3. In a writing tablet, the combination of a frame in which is a vertical row of pin holes, strips around the upper edge thereof, a hand plate connecting the lower part of said strips, a spring actuated pencil guide plate slidable underneath the hand rest and normally projecting beyond said hand rest, and a paper carrier slidable between the side strips and underneath the pencil guide plate and provided with a depending' stud in engagement with one of said pin holes, as described.

4. In a writing tablet, the combination of a frame, strips around the upper edge thereof, a hand plate connecting the lower part of said strips, a pencil guide plate underneath the hand rest slidable between the side strips and under the hand plate, a recess therein, a spindle passing slidably through the bottom strip, through the recess and into the pencil guide plate, a spiral spring which surrounds said spindle and bears against the bottom strip, a screw passing slidably through the bottom strip into the guide plate, a handle for said guide plate, and a paper carrier slidable between the side strips and underneath the pencil guide plate as described.

5. In a writing tablet, the combination of a :trame in which is a vertical row of pin holes, strips around the upper edge thereof, guide notches and guide slits in the side strips, a hand plate connecting the lower part of said strips, a spring actuated pencil guide plate slidable underneath the hand rest and normally projecting beyond said hand rest, and a paper carrier slidable between the side strips and underneath the pencil guide plate and provided with a depending stud in engagement with one of said pin holes, as described.

G. In a writing tablet, the combination of a frame in which is a vertical row ofV pin holes, strips around the upper edge thereof, guide notches and guide slits in the side strips, a hand plate connecting the lower part of said strips, a spring actuated adjustable pencil guide plate slidable underneath the hand rest formed with a slanting guide edge normally projecting beyond the hand rest, a Asheet metal paper carrier slightly turned up at its lower edge and turned up at its upper edge slidable between the side strips and underneath the pencil guide plate and provided with a depending stud in operative relation with said pin holes, and a sheet metal clip formed with a short straight leg and a long curved leg parallel thereto in engagement with the upper turned up rim of the paper carrier, as described.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS HUSSEY. l/Vitnesses:

GARDNER W. PEARSON, HUGH HOUSTON. 

